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Five lessons from the failed war on terror: Burman

This weekend's anniversary of 9/11 highlights how the American-led response made life worse.

In this Sept. 11, 2001, file photo the twin towers of the World Trade Center burn behind the Empire State Building in New York after terrorists crashed two planes into the towers causing both to collapse. (Marty Lederhandler / The Associated Press)

Where were you 15 years ago at the moment when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center came crashing to the ground? If you haven’t relived the horror of 9/11 recently, many of us will do so again this Sunday, when anniversary ceremonies in New York City and Washington once again dominate our media.

We will be encouraged both to remember and to forget. We will remember the wasted lives of the nearly 3,000 civilians who died that day and the heart-stopping heroism of so many individuals who risked their lives to help.

But many important things will be forgotten, particularly by our political leaders. This will happen even though to better understand the enduring impact of 9/11 — and to learn from it — we need to remember what many have chosen to forget.

Fifteen years after, here are my five lessons from the ashes of Sept. 11, 2001:

1. 9/11 could have been prevented

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The former president, George W. Bush, will be mentioned often in anniversary ceremonies. People will speak of the surprise of the 9/11 attacks and the resolute way that Bush responded. But not mentioned will be that Osama bin Laden was already a known threat when the Bush administration took over. On Aug. 6, 2001 — a month before 9/11 — an intelligence memo to the president was headlined, “Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S.” Bush was on holiday at the time and he remained on holiday after the briefing.

2. Revenge as policy never works

In response, the Bush administration decided to go after bin Laden by invading Afghanistan and then, in 2003, Iraq. It was a colossal blunder that must have fulfilled bin Laden’s dreams. Immediately after 9/11, the U.S. had the support of most of the world, including the major Middle Eastern powers. Had the U.S. acted in moderation, bin Laden himself would likely have become marginalized in the region, shunned by the very people whose support he sought. Instead, a series of military adventures not only cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives, but also bolstered bin Laden’s reputation in the region.

3. Terrorism doesn’t come from nowhere

By pursuing an unwinnable military response, America’s cause was lost. And the implications of this debacle are still being felt. The focus was on the battlefield — wherever that might be in an era of terrorism. Left neglected were the root causes of terrorism’s appeal in the Middle East: the failing education systems, rampant government corruption, endemic poverty and the oppression of women at a time when their skills and talents were so desperately needed.

4. The true human costs were huge

Sunday’s ceremony will celebrate the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives on 9/11. That is an awful toll resulting from a heinous crime, and that should be stated. It actually has been, often, but it is easy to lose perspective. In the U.S. last year alone, 13,286 people were killed by gun violence. As a result of the military response to 9/11 in Afghanistan and Iraq, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were killed, as well as more than 5,000 American soldiers. The human legacy of 9/11 extends well beyond the poignance of Sept. 11.

5. Beware the surveillance state

Beyond the human toll, our loss of liberty as a result of 9/11 is an enduring legacy. The ferocious military action, not only by the U.S. but by governments everywhere, had a catastrophic impact on human rights. Governments used 9/11 as a pretext to curtail freedoms, squash political dissent and create a mushrooming surveillance state that is with us to this day.

Fifteen years after the stunning events of 9/11, the sad truth is that terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh are stronger than ever. Bin Laden himself was identified early on as a target for reprisal, and the U.S. eventually got him. But the “bin Ladenism” he spawned is flourishing in many parts of the Middle East. Until the West — and, more importantly, the Middle East powers themselves — focus on the root causes, the tears and patriotism on display each Sept. 11 will become more and more meaningless as the years go by.

Tony Burman is former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com .

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